Ask Her If She Wants to Stay Awhile
by eswigag
Summary: "She didn't look dangerous. Just sad." Jess/Lily femslash.


Meeting her was a happy accident. Jessica was kind of the queen of happy accidents. Maybe just luck. Things just sort of worked out for her. Not to levels that it was a superpower or anything, but enough that she could trust that even bad situations would turn out okay in the end.

Hell, she could actually _win_ grab machines. When her and the other kids in that crappy "gifted" program she got shunted into it elementary school went to Burger King or McDonald's - one of those places - after a competition, she was the only one who could win at the grab machine. They paid her actual dollar bills to get them stuffed animals. Jess still didn't know how she got it to work so easily when no one else could.

Jess wasn't even planning on being in San Diego that day. Or ever, really. She found herself there on a weekend, going to a concert she didn't care much about for a band she only heard a couple times on the radio. She only went because she - you guessed it - won free tickets for being the fifth caller on a radio contest. She thought she remembered Becky saying she was a big fan, but when she came after her waving the tickets for Becky, Little Becky, well. She listened to them online and suddenly she was calling Jessica back to say she would _love_ to, they sounded _really_ good, but she had been eating fast food after she got off the phone before and she was starting to feel kinda sick, oh man, bad timing, she _really_ wanted to go.

Okay, so the band wasn't great and Becky didn't actually like them after all. Now she had two tickets burning in her pocket.

Well, why not? Jess was game. It was being held at a bar, even the worst music couldn't ruin the drinks. She wouldn't mind getting a new story to tell her friends and shame Becky into coming along and sharing her misery on her next adventure.

The ride was fine. Jessica put the radio on and sang along with the windows rolled all the way down and the wind in her hair. When she was nearly there, she stopped to get frozen yogurt at a gas station. It was when she was getting ready to drive off when she noticed the girl in black sitting on the curb outside. Legs bent up sharp. Face in her hands.

Jessica stopped and stared. Concern curled her mouth. Her natural instinct was to go help whoever it was, comfort them - whatever they needed. That natural instinct clashed with her _other_ natural instinct, which was to avoided strangers dressed all in black sitting in weird places and doing weird things. Who knew what that girl might do?

Jess hesitated a second longer. They were right in front of a gas station, next to a busy road. Plenty of people around to intervene, if needed. Jessica compromised by staying in her car, driving up slow, window cranked half-up. She called out through the window.

"You okay? Do you need help?"

The girl looked up and even at a distance, Jess could see the mascara running down her pale cheeks. She didn't _look_ dangerous. Just sad.

The girl shook her head and waved Jess off, wiping at her face with her hands. Her long jacket stretched and settled again with her arm movements. Okay, Jessica liked to look stylish herself and black was always a good choice, except when it wasn't. Like on a warm California night. All-black was even worse.

Jessica inched the car closer. Hesitated again, then decided. She turned the key, turned off the car, and hopped out, locking the doors behind her and keeping the key clutched in her hand.

"Okay, I'm really sorry if I'm bothering you, but are you sure you're okay? Did you need a ride or something?" Jess asked, feeling more out of her element and intrusive than ever. She stuck it out. If she left this girl crying out here alone without making she was reasonably okay, she would haunt Jess's dreams for days.

The girl held her with piercing green eyes. Sighed. Said, "I guess not. Okay, I mean. I've been having trouble sleeping lately and it just… it all caught up to me." She offered Jessica up a faintly apologetic smile. "Sorry for making you all concerned. I'm not in trouble or anything. Just having a minor breakdown."

Jessica smiled back purely out of relief. "You don't have to apologize. I've had days like that too. And they get better sooner than you think, promise."

The girl's smile turned slightly bitter. "Maybe for you. Sure doesn't feel like it for me right now."

"I know. But it will." Jessica glanced back at her car. She was pretty much on-schedule if she wanted to arrive right before it started, but if she lingered much longer, she'd start cutting it close. But who cared? She wouldn't die of regret if she didn't see the concert. At this point, she kinda just wanted to make sure this girl was somewhere safe. "Hey, I'm serious about the ride thing. I can drive you home, if you want. If you haven't been sleeping that much, I probably should."

"Don't need to," the girl told her. "I live close by. I walked here to get cigarettes."

Jessica frowned. "Are you sure? It's pretty dark out and you're wearing black," she pointed out.

"I'm sure. It was just as dark when I walked here in the same black clothes, same as I do every other night, and I'm fine." She started pushing herself off the curb to get up. Jessica hurried over to stretch out her hand. The girl grabbed it and a jolt went through Jess's heart.

The girl didn't notice. "Still, thanks. I hope I didn't freak you out too bad."

Jessica's heart fluttered rapidly. She tried to grin it off. She had no idea what was happening. "It was no problem. I'm just glad you're okay."

The girl twitched a smile at her. Jessica sensed that their requisite little ritual of goodbye was just about complete and for some reason, the thought alarmed her.

Then another thought struck her. "Hey! What's your name?" Jess asked.

The girl blinked. "It's Lily," she said. She studied Jessica with new interest. "How about you?"

"I'm Jessica."

"Jessica," Lily repeated. Nodding a little. Smiling a lot more. "Nice to meet you, Jess."

Wow. Jess did like her smile when she seemed to mean it.

And her jacket, which was admittedly pretty stylish. And her hair, and her -

Wow. Jess realized that she kinda liked her _everything_.

That gave Jess an idea. "Hey, my friend bailed on me. I got a spare ticket. You want to be my plus-one to a shitty concert?" she offered.

"What, go with a total stranger to a concert I know nothing about, God knows where?" Lily laughed, but only part of it sounded skeptical. Most of it sounded pleasantly surprised. Jess could work with that.

"Is that a yes?" she asked, grinning.

Lily laughed again and shook her head. "No. More like a 'why not.'"

"See?" Jess asked Becky, miles and miles away. "This girl gets it."


End file.
